Huangming

Chapter 308 A Successful Retreat, Burying Deadly Intent

In the dense forest northwest of Hetu Ala, the shouts of battle gradually subsided, leaving only the mournful cries of wounded warhorses and the footsteps of Ming soldiers clearing the battlefield.

Smoke from gunpowder lingered among the branches, mixed with a strong smell of blood, and persisted in the damp air for a long time.

Nearly a thousand corpses lay scattered along the official road, all dressed in plain white armor.

These were all elite Jurchen troops who had come from Maldun Village to provide support.

Their bodies lay face up or face down, some still in the posture of wielding a knife, others pinned to tree trunks by arrows, their blood flowing down the ravines and forming streams that stained the road surface dark brown.

Zhao Shuaijiao stood beside the pile of corpses, leaning on his long spear. His battle robe was torn in several places, and blood was still seeping from his left arm, but his face showed undisguised excitement.

Half an hour ago, when the nine hundred Plain White Banner cavalry charged into the ambush, his two thousand infantrymen first blocked their path with rolling logs and stones, and then fired a barrage of arrows, forcibly keeping the enemy in place.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, Mao Wenlong led reinforcements out from the flank, and under the combined attack from both sides, the Jurchens were quickly routed.

"General, the inventory is complete!"

The guards ran over carrying a ledger covered in blood-stained heads, their voices trembling with excitement.

"A full nine hundred and fifteen heads, not one missing!"

Zhao Shuaijiao took the account book and exchanged a smile with Mao Wenlong.

When they set off from Pi Island, who could have imagined that they would achieve such results in the heart of Hetu Ala?
"Next up are Sarhu and Jiefan City."

Mao Wenlong used his scabbard to push aside a corpse, revealing the road below.

"Pass down the order to divide the troops into two groups and deploy them along both banks of the Suzi River to block all escape routes to the north."

He paused, a sly glint in his eyes.

"We need to tighten the gates so that the remaining Jurchens can only come towards the battlefield we have planned. Only in this way can we ensure that we can always fight with more men than women."

Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in Zhao Shuaijiao's eyes.

He finally understood Mao Wenlong's plan: if the Jurchens in Sarhu and Jiefan City received the news, they would definitely come to their aid in full force. However, as long as their retreat was cut off, the Ming army could use its familiarity with the terrain to set up ambushes time and time again, dividing the enemy into small groups and annihilating them.

This method is clearly a copy of Nurhaci's tactics in the Battle of Sarhu.

Concentrate superior forces to defeat the enemy one by one.

It's just that back then the Jurchens won with fewer troops, but now the Ming army is using their own methods against them.

"high!"

Zhao Shuaijiao clapped his hands and said, "In this way, although we only have a few thousand men, we can always maintain a local advantage and keep the Jurchens busy running around."

Mao Wenlong smiled, used his knife to lift up a plain white flag, and ordered his soldiers to take it as a trophy.

"If Nurhaci could defeat Sarhu using this method, why can't we use the same method to destroy his stronghold?"

"Let the brothers rest and recuperate. The next tough battle is probably coming soon."

now.

The city of Hetu Ala, not far away, was engulfed in flames.

The wooden houses crackled in the flames, the brick and stone palace walls glowed red, and thick smoke billowed into the sky, turning half the sky crimson.

The firelight reflected on the surface of the Suzi River, like molten gold spread out, or like endless blood flowing.

Zu Dashou and Huang Degong have already led their troops out of the city.

A dozen or so horse-drawn carriages, laden with gold and silver, led the way, their wheels grinding against the scorched earth with a dull thud.

Following behind were dozens of female captives tied together with ropes. Abahai, Zhe Zhe, and others were mixed in among them, their faces covered in dust, their eyes staring blankly at the burning city, as if their souls had been swallowed by the sea of ​​fire.

Not far outside the city gate, a dozen or so bondservants stood timidly.

Most of them were like Tong Guoyao, and it was through their identification that the Ming army was able to identify all the Jianzhou nobles in just one day.

At this moment, their faces still bore the flattery of someone who had just claimed credit, thinking that they could change their allegiance and become peaceful, obedient citizens.

however.

Huang Degong reined in his horse in front of them.

He glanced back at the dozen or so servants, his eyes filled with no pity, only icy killing intent.

The more eager these people were to betray their master for personal gain, the more of an eyesore they are in his eyes now.

The saying goes, "When the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away." This has been true since ancient times.

Their usefulness has been exhausted.

"You, stay."

Huang Degong dismounted and slowly drew the long sword from his waist.

The blade gleamed coldly in the firelight, reflecting his hard profile.

The dozen or so bondservants didn't realize what was happening at first, until they saw Huang Degong approaching step by step, and then they finally realized something was wrong.

The leader fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "General, spare us! General, spare us! We've done a great service! We helped the heavenly soldiers find those Jurchen nobles!"

"Yeah yeah!"

The other one also started crying and shouting.

"The general promised to give us a way out; we can't go back on our word!"

Huang Degong walked up to the wailing servant, lifted his chin with the tip of his knife, and said in a calm but chilling tone: "It was Zu Dashou who told you that you could live."

He paused, then suddenly emphasized his words.

"It wasn't me, Huang Degong!"

Before he could finish speaking, the long sword had already slashed down.

"Pfft-"

Blood spurted out, and the still-screaming head rolled to the ground, its eyes wide open in disbelief.

The remaining servants were terrified, some of them turned to run away, but were stopped by the surrounding Ming soldiers.

They were like rats in a jar, trembling in fear.

"General, spare me! I can still work! I can still..."

The begging for mercy stopped abruptly.

Huang Degong didn't give them a chance to say anything more; as he swung his long sword, blood splattered everywhere.

The screams and wails were quickly drowned out by the crackling of the flames, and in no time, only corpses lay scattered across the open space.

In the end, only Tong Guoyao was left.

He collapsed to the ground, his crotch already soaked, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

When Huang Degong swung his knife, he was so frightened that he fainted. When he woke up, he saw corpses all over the ground, and the blood-dripping long knife was pointed at his neck.

"General... General..."

Tong Guoyao's voice trembled and became incoherent.

"I...I'm still useful...I know where the granary in Sarhu is...I can still..."

Just as Huang Degong's long sword was about to strike, a shout came from behind: "General Huang, spare his life!"

Huang Degong frowned, slowly sheathed his sword and turned around, only to see Zu Dashou riding towards him on horseback, followed by two bodyguards.

"What, you're going to protect this kind of traitor?"

Huang Degong's voice was clearly displeased, and the blood-stained blade gleamed coldly in the firelight.

"Keeping him around will only cause trouble."

Tong Guoyao, as if grasping at the last straw, scrambled to Zu Dashou's horse, clung tightly to its legs, and kowtowed repeatedly: "General, save me! General, spare my life! Just spare my life, and I will serve you like a slave, even if it means going through fire and water!"

His forehead struck the gravel, and blood quickly seeped out, but he dared not stop for a moment.

Zu Dashou reined in his horse, looked at the groveling, begging creature beneath his feet, and suddenly laughed:
"General Huang, you may not know this, but I told these lackeys before that as long as they perform meritorious service, they will be given a way out. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Besides, look at him, isn't he saying he'll serve me like a beast of burden?"

Huang Degong clearly didn't believe this explanation. He sheathed his longsword, the clanging of metal carrying a hint of mockery.

"What morality do these bondservants have? They were 'slaves' to the Jurchens before, and what happened? They turned around and betrayed their masters. If they can betray the Jurchens today, they might betray you and me tomorrow." Having said that, he stopped looking at Zu Dashou and shouted to his personal guards behind him, "Go!"

Hundreds of Ming soldiers followed closely behind, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance, leaving only corpses scattered across the ground and the burning city as their companions.

As Zu Dashou watched Huang Degong's departing figure, the smile on his face slowly faded.

He dismounted and walked up to Tong Guoyao, who was still shivering, and gently nudged his shoulder with the tip of his boot: "Get up."

Thinking he had escaped death, Tong Guoyao quickly got up, bowed, and waited to the side with a fawning smile on his face: "Thank you, General, for sparing my life! This servant's life belongs to you, General. I will obey your orders even at the cost of my life!"

"I don't want you to be my slave."

Zu Dashou suddenly spoke, his tone calm but making Tong Guoyao's heart tighten.

Tong Guoyao was stunned, her smile freezing on her face: "General... what do you mean?"

Zu Dashou looked around to make sure no one was around before lowering his voice and saying, "I can give you a way out, and even let you perform a greater service."

He paused, looking at Tong Guoyao's surprised and uncertain eyes, and slowly uttered a sentence.

"I want you to go back to the Jurchens."

"Back to the Jurchens?"

Tong Guoyao suddenly stopped in her tracks, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face instantly contorted with a mixture of grief and indignation.

He thought Zu Dashou was testing his loyalty, so he immediately stiffened his neck and put on a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance:

"General, what are you saying! This servant is now sworn enemies with the Jurchens. I personally identified Dodo Ejen, and I also revealed the hiding places of those noble members of the imperial family. How could I possibly go back? Besides..."

His voice trembled, tinged with lingering fear.

"Even if the general really wants me to go back, just because I killed Dodo, the Jurchens will definitely skin me alive and leave me with no way out!"

Watching his tearful performance, Zu Dashou couldn't help but shake his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

This traitor has mastered the art of seeking advantage and avoiding harm to a high degree, but unfortunately, his performance was too deliberate and revealed his flaws.

"What if I send you to rescue Abahai?"

Zu Dashou suddenly uttered a sentence, his voice as calm as if he were talking about something ordinary.

"The people of Hetu Ala are almost all dead, so no one will know what you did in the city. If you can secretly save the Grand Consort, wouldn't that count as a great feat in Nurhaci's eyes?"

Tong Guoyao was shocked. The grief and indignation on her face froze instantly, turning into astonishment.

He opened his mouth, but it took him a while to react.

It turns out that Zu Dashou didn't want to kill him, but rather to make him an inside man!
This is to nail him into the heart of the Jurchens, making him a nail that can be detonated at any time!
"But...but how can this servant save him?"

He subconsciously pressed for an answer, his tone no longer carrying the previous fervor, but only genuine panic.

Abahai was under close watch by the Ming army's personal guards and was shackled. How could she be rescued so easily?

"Don't worry, I have a way to save you."

Zu Dashou walked up to him, his voice extremely low.

“You are a member of the Tong family. Your grandfather, Tong Yangxing, is currently serving in the Bordered Yellow Banner. Even Nurhaci has to give him some face. As long as you can ‘rescue’ Abahai, he will definitely protect you. After all, rescuing the Grand Consort is a great achievement, and he has no reason not to protect his own family.”

He paused, his gaze piercing Tong Guoyao's heart: "You only need to lie low by the side of the Jurchens, be cautious in your daily life, and do a few things for my Great Ming at crucial moments. If you do well, when you surrender in the future, you can be like Li Yangeng and Liu Xingzuo, given official titles and ranks, and have your slave status washed away. This is your only way to survive, and your only chance to turn your life around."

Tong Guoyao's mind raced.

He knew that someone like him, who betrayed his master for personal gain, would only be looked down upon even if he returned to the interior with the Ming army. He might even be beheaded one day on charges of "treason."

But staying with the Jurchens would be a different story.

As long as you can gain a foothold by relying on the merit of "rescuing the Grand Princess", you can still live a life of luxury with the power of the Tong family.

When the day of dynastic change really comes, he can transform himself and submit to the Ming Dynasty, and maybe he can even get an official position.

Both options are speculative, so this is clearly a more worthwhile deal.

"it is good!"

Tong Guoyao gritted her teeth and suddenly knelt down. This time, her eyes no longer held any flattery, but instead showed a ruthless determination.

"This servant is willing to be the inside man! Please instruct the general on how to proceed!"

Zu Dashou chuckled and said, "You only need to..."

……

On the other side, in the dense forest of the Sarhu River Valley, Mao Wenlong and Zhao Shuaijiao kept an eye on the movements on the distant official road.

The scouts we just sent out brought back bad news:
The Red Banner reinforcements from Sarhu have crossed the Suzi River, while the Jiefan City in the southwest has also dispatched troops from the Yellow Banners. The two forces are converging towards Hetu Ala, totaling more than two thousand men.

"Damn it!"

Mao Wenlong punched the tree trunk beside him, shaking off a few withered leaves.

"We thought we could finally take a bite out of Sarhu, but the Jurchens from Jiefan City have also arrived. It's like we've prepared a meal, but two tables of guests have barged in. How are we supposed to eat like this?"

Zhao Shuaijiao looked at the enemy's movements marked on the map, his brows furrowing: "The Red Banner of Sarhu has three Niru, and the two Yellow Banners of Jiefan City have at least four Niru, totaling nearly two thousand men. We only have four thousand brothers, and they are already exhausted from days of marching. If we fight head-on, I'm afraid we won't come out on top."

"Not only will you not get any credit, but you'll also fail to gain anything."

Mao Wenlong shook his head, his tone tinged with worry.

"The Jurchens are always fierce and brave. If we get bogged down by them and it's delayed until reinforcements from other strongholds arrive, our small force will be surrounded and wiped out. At that point, forget about winning the battle; we might not even be able to get out alive."

Moreover, his soldiers had already fought several battles today. Although they were all ambushes, the constant advances were constantly draining their strength.

This is already an exhausted army.

He stood up and patted Zhao Shuaijiao on the shoulder: "We've already made enough. We've got Hetu Ala, and the reinforcements from Gule Village and Maldun Village have been completely wiped out. The heads alone are enough for the brothers to be promoted. There's no need to gamble everything and fight them head-on."

Zhao Shuaijiao took a deep breath and nodded.

He knew that Mao Wenlong was right. The key to a surprise attack was to win quickly. Now that the enemy was powerful, it would be suicidal to be greedy for merit and advance recklessly.

"Withdraw."

He stood up, rolled up the map, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Have the brothers leave quietly, without leaving a trace."

"Send the order!"

Mao Wenlong shouted to his guards, "The left wing troops will retreat first and move towards Pi Island along the north bank of the Suzi River; the right wing troops will cover the rear and cover their tracks with dead branches and leaves; tell Huang Degong to take the supply train first, and we will follow!"

The command flags waved in the woods, and the silent orders quickly spread throughout the camps.

The Ming troops who had been lying in ambush retreated silently like a tide. The swordsmen hid the barricades, the archers put away their bows and crossbows, and even the warhorses had their mouths covered, leaving only the faint sound of hooves.

In less than half an hour, the once menacing forest returned to silence, as if no army had ever been stationed there.

Before leaving, Mao Wenlong glanced back in the direction of Hetu Ala.

The burning city was still ablaze, its flames illuminating the sky like a giant beast panting in the night.

He knew that this retreat today might mean missing the opportunity to annihilate the Jurchen reinforcements.

But as long as they're still around, they'll always come back one day.

"go!"

With Mao Wenlong's order, the last batch of Ming soldiers disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

Only the howling wind and the faint sound of Jurchen horses' hooves could be heard in the distance in the valley.

When the reinforcements from Sarhu and Jiefan City arrived at the walls of Hetu Ala, all they found was an empty city collapsing in flames, and the corpses of their people scattered all over the ground.

Meanwhile, most of the Ming army had already sailed downstream along the river, rushing towards Pi Island.

Behind them was the burning stronghold of the Jurchens.

Before them stood the Ming Emperor, awaiting news of their victory.

This surprise attack ultimately ended with a resounding victory.

However, the impact of this battle continues to unfold and is far from over.

(End of this chapter)